Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a housing for a telecommunications system having a housing base for accommodating modules or modules frames. The housing further has a covering shroud which is connected releasably to the housing base and with the housing base encloses the modules or the module frames.
German Patent DE 92 03 115 U1 discloses a housing that is intended for a telecommunications system, in particular for a private branch exchange, and has a bottom or base part for accommodating electronic components and terminals as well as a covering shroud that is secured against unauthorized opening. The covering shroud of the housing is drawn in slightly in the central region and, at this location, has a control light panel with lights to indicate the presence of the power supply voltage, the busy state of the lines and the like.
The top end wall of the covering shroud, which is injection molded in a single piece from plastic has ventilation slots which, together with openings in the region of the bottom end wall, allow heat to be discharged. On one longitudinal side, the covering shroud has latching elements which interact with complementary latching elements of the bottom part and lock the covering shroud, once placed in position, on one longitudinal side, while, on the opposite longitudinal side, the bottom part has a resilient blocking hook which is oriented in the direction of the inner wall of the associated covering-shroud side wall and, once the shroud has been pushed on, penetrates into an inner recess of the side wall and blocks the shroud. In order to open the housing, provided in the bottom part of the housing is an opening through which a tool can be introduced and by way of which the blocking hook can be levered out of the recess, with the result that the covering shroud is released.
Such housings for telecommunications systems are usually of a predetermined overall size that is adapted to the number of electric and/or electronic modules, such as a power-supply configuration, printed circuit boards and terminals, which are to be accommodated. The covering shroud, which is formed of plastic and is produced by injection molding, can easily be destroyed by the action of external forces or is of such a thickness, or has additional reinforcing elements, that the volume of the housing is considerably greater than is necessary for accommodating the electric and electronic modules. As a result, there are also limits placed on the size of such housings for telecommunications systems.
Different housing shapes are thus developed for differently sized telecommunications systems, the housing shapes being adapted to the respective number of electric and electronic modules which are to be accommodated. The different housing shapes and sizes require a correspondingly high-outlay production process and high-outlay storage for providing the different product shapes and sizes. Nevertheless, the problems of, in particular, the covering shrouds of the housings for telecommunications systems being easy to destroy and, and with the poor utilization of space due to the thickness of the plastic covering shrouds, remain unsolved.
A further problem is that, in order to secure the housings for telecommunications systems against unintended or unauthorized opening, locking configurations, such as those in German Patent DE 92 03 115 U1, are provided, it only being possible for these to be unlocked, for authorized access, by special tools or with much difficulty. Here too, there is the risk of the plastic covering shroud and/or of the locking parts being destroyed, with the result that corresponding replacements are necessary.